Slight of Hand

[Jenjin]

The trick finally played, now treats could commence.

Incense-tarred patchouli, opoponax, blackened cloth, frankincense resin, and black moss.

[Biocarbons]

BPALs incense blend (the same one in dead leaves, incense smoke, and oudh) with a bit more frankincense over sweet, earthy black moss and cotton cloth note. The cloth note is stronger here than in Milarca.

 

This is a little bit foody, with something in this reading as almond paste to my nose. 

[The Magician's Apprentice]

Sleight of Hand, for me, is a very tricky scent. In the bottle, the patchouli generously lends the opening its distinctive pungent, earthy quality, aided further by the black moss, although the latter isn’t too distinctive. Combined with the tarring of incense and the addition of opopanax, you’d think this scent is quite heavy, secretive, something that would cash out the tarring and the darkness in the scent notes - but there is, instead, this odd lightness to this scent, just at its cusp.

 

Indeed, on the skin the lightness becomes even more pronounced - it’s the scent of cotton that gives the dirty, sleepy scents of patchouli and incense a proper wash. Overall, Sleight of Hand is more like patchouli incense smoke clung to a freshly washed shirt than a mysterious ritual. None of these elements, interestingly enough, cancel each other out: the dirt is still there, just a tad bit less offensive than you might imagine. 

 

The above makes this a very puzzling mix for me - I adore a punchy patchouli (the dirtier the better!), and I shy away from anything that could be described as clean or fresh. My poor nose is therefore quite confused by the intermingling of the two! Additionally, my judgement is probably clouded by my searing disappointment - I was looking forward to a new scent that combines patchouli and moss to satisfy my cravings of smelling like decaying plant matter. Overall, this isn’t at all bad or unpleasant, but just not what I expected on the basis of the scent notes.

[elizabethdivine]

@The Magician's Apprentice - I pretty much agree with your interpretation of this scent. I personally was not expecting the ‘blackened cloth’ note to smell like a freshly washed laundry item… I’d hoped it would be maybe, a burned cloth smell instead. I’ll definitely be giving my bottle some time to settle before passing my final judgement.